It had been three long days since Mayda and Elk-lore had died. Sela Kotu, Jocy, Hi-lee, Elay, Tay-Bry, Zobo, and countless other humans and animals were gathered in a large grassy area that was surrounded on three sides by shrubs. It was Ferred 15th, and, though Sela Kotu wasn't in the mood for it, it was the traditional day for a huge celebration. There were flowers and children everywhere, for it was the festival of life. A quarter of the fairies from fairyland attended, and nearly half of all others in Jet-a-Miray came, not just for the sake of the tradition, but because there was free food, and the queen was to speak.
Even as the celebration was going on, some unfortunate Dumix members were escorting the prisoners back to Tas-et-lal, which was now ruled by two high-ranked Dumix officers. Both were human, a husband and a wife. Sela Kotu couldn't rule the land herself, for it was too far from her castle. Other humans from Jet-a-Miray were also sent to Tas-et-lal, to live there, and to help make sure that Tas-et-lal didn't invade again. After a great mental debate, Sela Kotu decided not to build a wall between her country and Tas-et-lal, because it could prevent their descendants from becoming allies.
Sela Kotu stood on a large stone that had been ground flat for use as a podium. She waited for the crowd to quiet down, and then spoke. "Citizens of Jet-a-Miray. I--"
Suddenly, there was a great flash of light, and the next thing they knew, Mayda was there, dressed in a robe so white it nearly glowed.
At the sight of Mayda, nearly all of the animals, and a great deal of the humans and fairies, kneeled, bowed, laid flat on the ground, or did anything else they could to show their respect. Jocy looked around and was surprised to see Elay, a unicorn, and the noblest of all creatures, kneeling as best she could to Mayda.
No one moved until Mayda spoke. "My friends, today truly is the festival of life. For I died, but now am alive. Anyone who believes in me shall also rise up again, in heaven. But now, those who died in the last few years and believed in my Father or me shall rise, to live in this world again." Then, as quickly as he had come, Mayda disappeared (although he appeared to others later on). All who had kneeled stood up again, confused.
The queen felt a tap on her shoulder. She curiously and suspiciously spun around, and found herself being passionately kissed. She only halfheartedly tried to free herself from the man's grasp, being too confused to act. When the kiss finally ended, she reeled back a few steps and looked at the man who had kissed her. He had a huge cheerful, playful grin on his face, and, surprised but accepting, Sela Kotu ran back to the man and hugged him. It was King Salo, her husband, who she had thought to be dead for days.
All around, the loved ones of others were also coming back to life. It seemed like everyone at the festival had some friend or loved one returned to him or her.
Hi-lee looked around hopefully. Suddenly, two glowing creatures appeared between Jocy and her. Hi-lee recognized one of them instantly as her friend Elk-lore, and was overjoyed. She could somehow see that he was smiling, too. When he spoke, she knew why he was happy.
"Hi-lee, Jocy, this is Kara," he said, almost laughing for joy. "Come on. Let's go into fairyland." Hi-lee and Jocy waited, and in a few seconds, Elk-lore knew that they were waiting for Kara and him to be touching them, so they wouldn't forget about the outside world or want to stay in fairyland forever.
"Don't worry about that," said Elk-lore, guessing their thoughts. "Today is the festival of life! It's the one day in the day that non-fairies can go into fairyland without wanting to stay in forever, even if they aren't touching a fairy!"
The four went into fairyland, and it seemed hundreds of times more beautiful than it had when they entered for the funeral. Here, too, creatures were reunited, and, had they known what they were, Hi-lee and Jocy would have sworn that they saw fireworks. Not only could they go into fairyland without touching a fairy, but they could look around at anything in the glowing land without hurting their eyes. They could see the expressions of every fairy in the land.
They saw lovers kissing, children reunited with their parents, friends talking and hugging, and relatives smiling at each other. The one thing that was universal was the joy. Not one creature in all of Jet-a-Miray was unhappy at the end of that day.
Hi-lee and Jocy stayed in fairyland for many hours, until it was nearly midnight. Then, they reluctantly left, but only because they didn't want to lose their memories of the day. They had seen complete happiness demonstrated by everyone they saw, and they had even roamed about while time was stopped, thanks to Kara. They never wanted the day to end.
Of course, the day eventually ended, and things returned back to normal. Kind of. The queen continued to rule her country well, though her personal life was much happier than it had been before. Jocy and Hi-lee continued their spy work, occasionally with Elk-lore and Kara. Elk-lore decided to use his other name, Starlight, and he and Kara were still fighters, though Starlight no longer used his bow and arrows (except to shoot targets). Rosewood, too, became a fighter again. Zobo and Tay-Bry maintained their positions until the death of the king and queen. However, the royal couple led long and contented lives. All who lived under their rule lived happily for many days, and, though they weren't always accepted by everyone, the teachings of Mayda were never forgotten.